lasting settlement. Sir A. B. Aylesworth, Minister of Justice in the Laurier administration, represented Canada at the arbitration and afterwards in the House of Commons declared that the basis of settlement of the question was the treaty we negotiated at Washington in 1888. It should also not be forgotten that although defeated in the presidential election, President Cleveland polled 100,000 more votes than his successful opponent, Benjamin Harrison, who, in his subsequent address, declared the modus vivendi had removed all irritation between Canada and the United States."

The British feeling on the matter of the proposed treaty, and the cordial relations that existed between the plenipotentiaries themselves, are represented by the following letters written at the conclusion of the Conference :

Government House, Ottawa,
February 22, 1888.

DEAR SIR CHARLES,-I have been confined to the house by a cold and sore throat, or I should have endeavoured to see you ere now and to congratulate you on your return and on the success of your mission. I was sorry to see that you too had been on the sick list.

The enclosed telegram from Mr. Chamberlain has just come in. Will you give me your opinion as soon as possible? I cannot help thinking that it will be a serious misfortune to us to have the full protocols entirely withheld. We had the best of the argument all through, and some of the speeches of the United States Plenipotentiaries contained very valuable admissions to which it may

N

hereafter become necessary to refer when questions of interpretation arise, as they are sure to do.

On the other hand, it may be desirable that for the present we should be content with a formal protocol, for the reasons urged by Mr. Bayard. I should, however, be sorry to part with the right of insisting at a later stage upon the production of the fuller record.

You have, I have no doubt, seen the President's message and his construction of the provisions clause. He has not left us long in doubt upon this point.

I shall be at home all the morning in case you should desire to see me.-I am, dear Sir Charles, yours sincerely, LANSDOWNE.

Finance Department, Ottawa, Canada,

February 24th, 1888. DEAR LORD LANSDOWNE,-I was very sorry to learn that you, like myself, had been suffering from a severe cold. I regret I was unable to answer your kind letter of the 22nd instant in person, and to thank you for your much valued congratulations on the success of my mission. I am still unable to write except by the aid of my private secretary.

Immediately upon the receipt of your letter I requested Sir John Macdonald and the Minister of Justice to see you in regard to Mr. Chamberlain's message, and I explained to them my views in reference thereto. Sir John called to see me yesterday and told me what you had done.

I quite concur with your Lordship in the opinion that it might be well to have the more extended protocols for future reference, but in the meantime

I do not see any serious objection to meeting Mr. Bayard's wishes to have the protocols mainly confined to the proposals and counter-proposals submitted at the Conference.

I shall do myself the honour to wait upon you the moment I feel well enough to go out. In the meanwhile, after most careful consideration of the whole question, I am satisfied that all parties concerned have great reason to be gratified at the termination of this very difficult question.

I must not close this letter without congratulating your Lordship upon your appointment as Viceroy of India, but I cannot avoid expressing at the same time my deep regret that Canada is to lose a Governor-General who has shown so much concern in our welfare and contributed so much in every way to advance our best interests.—I am, etc. (Signed) CHARLES TUPPER.

Government House, Ottawa,

February 26th, 1888. DEAR SIR CHARLES,-Only a line to thank you for your very kind letter, and for the congratulations which you are good enough to send me.

I was concerned to hear that you had been unwell, but I confess that I was not surprised to find that the strain of the last few weeks had told upon your health. I have no doubt that with rest you will soon be as well as ever. When you are able to come and have a quiet talk over the Treaty and other matters I shall be delighted to meet you.

The reckless abuse of the Treaty is not an unmixed misfortune; the more I see of it the more

I am impressed with the merits and the dexterity of the arrangement.-I am, dear Sir Charles, yours sincerely, LANSDOWNE.

Ottawa,

March 27th, 1888.

MY LORD, I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch of the 21st instant with copy of a dispatch from the Rt. Hon. the Secretary of State for the Colonies, covering a communication from Sir J. Pauncefote with enclosure of a dispatch addressed by Lord Salisbury to Her Majesty's Plenipotentiaries at the Fishery Conference at Washington, conveying to them the Queen's approval and that of Her Majesty's Government of the manner in which they conducted the negotiations in that capital for the settlement of the Fishery Question on the Atlantic coast of North America.

I am much gratified to learn that the course pursued by Her Majesty's Plenipotentiaries during the recent Conference at Washington has obtained the gracious approval of the Queen and the recognition of Her Majesty's Government, and I am especially gratified by the kind and flattering reference to my humble efforts on that occasion. I have already informed your Lordship how fully I appreciated the able and judicious manner in which Mr. Chamberlain conducted these negotiations at Washington and the firm support given by both him and Sir Lionel Sackville West to the contentions of Canada.

It is due to Mr. Thompson, the Minister of Justice, who acted as legal adviser to the British

side, to place on record my deep sense of the great assistance which he rendered throughout these negotiations, and to add that we were also much indebted to Mr. Foster, the Minister of Marine and Fisheries, whose intimate acquaintance with the subject was of especial value.-I have the honour to be, my Lord, your Lordship's obedient servant, (Signed) CHARLES TUPPER.

THE MOST HONORABLE

THE MARQUIS OF LANSDOWNE, ETC.

Portland, Maine,

April 18, 1888.

MY DEAR SIR CHARLES,-Mr. Dickey was kind enough to send me your speech on moving the second reading of the Bill concerning the treaty. I read it with exceeding interest. I think I ought to express to you most earnestly that I think it does you very great credit in all respects.

I notice the opposition apparently received you personally with great kindness, and claimed that you are almost as good as they.

Please accept thanks on behalf of Dr. Angell and myself for the very kind compliments which

you paid us. Very truly yours,

(Signed) WILLIAM L. PUTNAM.

SIR CHARLES Tupper.

Ann Arbor,

April 28, 1888.

MY DEAR SIR CHARLES,-I have just received and read with deep interest your speech on the treaty.

You presented the case with great cogency and